Refrigerating apparatus



usal UH OOm v -s- J April 2, 1940. E. F. scHwELLER REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 28, 1937 Iliff/lill INVENTOR. Ecwwva FJc//wfufe BY w/wzx, #IS ATTORNEYS.

Search Roon April 2, 1940. E. F. scHwE-LLER REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed June 28, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR [amm/a FSW/vraag HIS ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 2, 1940 UNITED STATES Search Roon PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Application June 28, 1937, Serial No. 150,719

3 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerator cabinet wall constructions and particularly the door opening moldings therefor. The present application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 18,630, filed April 27, 1935.

An object of my invention is to provide improved molding or trim strips between the spaced apart edges of metallic members of a wall structure for refrigerator cabinets such as between the metal panels of a-reirigerator door or between the metal wall members of a refrigerator cabinet at the door opening or throat of a food storage compartment.

Another object of my invention is to reduce 15 the cost of producing a finish breaker strip or trim molding for a refrigerator cabinet or for the door thereof while at the same time providing a strip or molding that is strong, eective and of neat appearance.

20 Still another object of my invention is to provide refrigerator wall structures with a finish breaker strip or trim molding which is relatively thin, substantially rigid and of low heat conductivity having exposed surfaces that are 25 non-hygroscopic.

In carrying out the foregoing objects it is a further and more specific object of my invention to provide a finish breaker strip or trim molding for refrigerator wall structures by cover- 30 ing a self-sustaining substantially rigid strip element of low heat conductivity with rubber such for example as by stretching a rubber tubular member over a piece of wood or by passing an insulating strip through a rubber extruding ap- 3 paratus to thereby extrude a layer or coating of rubber directly thereover, the latter of which permits attaching and/or flexible sealing portions to be extruded integrally and simultaneously with the impervious non-hygroscopic rubber 40 covering of the molding member.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of 45 the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a refrigerator cabinet having my invention embodied therein;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing a molding strip of the present invention applied to the refrigerator cabinet;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 and showing the molding strips in abutting relation at a corner of the cabinet door opening;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a flexible rubber tube adapted to be applied over a wood strip;

Fig. 5 shows the tube disclosed in Fig. 4 as being applied to a wood strip;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view similar to Fig. 2 and showing a slightly different refrigerator cabinet construction having a modified form of molding strip applied thereto and a still further modied form of molding strip applied to the door thereof; and

Fig. 7 is a view representative of a conventional rubber extruding apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, for illustrating the present invention, I have shown in Fig. 1 thereof a refrigerator cabinet of the household type generally designated by the reference character Ill. Cabinet Il) includes a metal exterior shell or finish panel II and an interior metal lining I2 (see Fig. 2l forming walls of a food storage compartment I3. Any suitable insulating material I4 may surround the lining I2. The metal members II and I2 each have edge portions I5 and I6 respectively overlapping and secured to a wood door frame I'I. The edge portions I5 and I6 of the metal members II and I2 respectively are spaced apart so as to break metal-tometal contact therebetween to prevent transference of heat into the food storage compartment I3. The frame I'I extends around the throat of the compartment I3 or around the opening which affords access to compartment I3 and which opening is adapted to be closed by a door I8. The edges I5 and I6 of the panel or shell II and lining I2 respectively and the exposed face of frame I1 at the throat of compartment I3 are adapted to be covered or concealed by molding of trim strips generally designated by the reference character I9. It is to these trim strips that my invention is particularly directed and their construction together with the means for attaching same to the throat of compartment I3 of cabinet I0 will be more fully described hereinafter. A cooling element or evaporator 2| of a closed refrigerant liquefying and circulating system may be mounted in any suitable manner in the compartment I3 of cabinet I0 for cooling food adapted to be stored therein.

Each of the molding or nish trim strips I9 include a wood member 23 having a covering 24 therecver. Wood member 23 has, in the present disclosure, a cut-out portion 2B along one side thereof for abutment against a raised or shoulder portion 2l provided on the food compartment lining I2. A cut-out portion 23 along the surface of member 23 is adapted to clear fastening means employed to secure the edge portion I5 of shell or panel II to the frame I1. The trim strips I9 are secured to the frame I1 by a plurality of screws 29 each having a cone-shaped metal washer 3| under their heads. The ends of the wood members 23 and the ends of the covering 24 of each of the trim strips I9 are cut at an angle so as to cause proper alignment and abutment of the ends of strips I9 and coverings 24 at the corners of the throat of the food compartment I3 (see Fig. 3).

The covering 24 over the trim strip I9 is in the present invention in the form of a flat tube of exible resilient rubber (see Fig. 4). lThe rubber tube 24 may be produced in any suitable manner such, for example, as by molding a strip of iiat sheet rubber into a tubular form or by forming a continuous tubular element by extruding a continuous rubber tube from a rubber extruding apparatus as is well-known to those skilled in the art. The opening in the covering tube 24 is slightly smaller than the total distance around the wood member 23 and this tube, when the wood member 23 is placed or forced therein, is stretched so as to tightly engage outer surfaces of the wood member. In Fig. 5 of the drawings I have shown the rubber covering tube 24 as being applied to the wood member 23 by stretching the tube and slipping same over the Wood member. The tube 24 and member 23 may be wetted with water or any other substance to facilitate application of the tube to the strip member. The resilient rubber from which tube 24 is formed is a non-hygroscopic material and consequently forms an outer surface over the wood strip 23 which is impervious to moisture. The stretching of the tube 24 over and upon the rigid member 23 is sufcient to hold same in place thereon while at the same time permitting removal of the tube from the member 23 when necessary. This removability of tube 24 from member 23 is a novel feature of the present disclosure in thatit permits the outer covering of the trim or molding strips I1 to be removed and replaced with new coverings upon being damaged. For example, should the covering or tube 24 on the wood strips 23 become torn or damaged, so as to impair the appearance of the cabinet or so as to be ineffective in preventing the entrance of moisture to the insulating space between the outer and inner metal walls II and I2 respectively of the refrigerator cabinet I0, a service man can remove the molding I9, by removing the screws 29 and sliding the molding horizontally outwardly from the cabinet, and take the damaged covering 24 off of the wood strip 23. The service man can then quickly and readily install a new tube covering upon the wood strip 23 and replace the molding I9 so as to improve the appearance of the cabinet at a very low cost.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings I have disclosed a modified form of my invention applied to a refrigerator cabinet Illa of slightly different construction than the cabinet I0. The wood frame I1 of cabinet Il) is omitted from cabinet Illa and a metal frame 36 is substituted therefor. The metal frame 36 in cabinet Illa supports the outer metal cabinet wall II a and the metal liner wall I2a of the food storage compartment I3a which may be attached to the outer cabinet wall Ila in any desirable manner. One suitable method of supporting the food compartment liner I2a directly from the cabinet outer metal wall IIa is disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 58,363 filed January 9, 1936. The door I8a of cabinet IIIa shown in Fig. 6 may also have my invention embodied therein and for this reason a further modified form of my invention is disclosed as being applied to door I8a. The insulating breaker or trim strip molding member I9a forms another wall between the spaced apart edges of the metal outer Wall II a and the metal inner wall I2a of the insulating wall structure of cabinet Illa at the throat of the food compartment I 3a or at the opening of the compartment to be closed by door I8a. This member I 9a preferably comprises a self-sustaining, substantially rigid, wide, thin strip of fiber or fish paper 31 enclosed in a rubber casing 38 which forms an impervious non-hygroscopic coating thereover. 'I'he strip element 31 imbedded in the rubber cover 33 may, however, be formed of any suitable material preferably of low heat conductivity such, for example, as those materials known to the trade as glyptol," Bakelite, textolite, etc., without departing from my invention. The one side or edge of molding wall I9a is secured to the frame 36 and to the outer wall Ila of cabinet I0a by a plurality of screws 39 which pass through molding member I9a and are threaded into openings provided in inturned flanges 4I and 42 formed on frame 36 and wall IIa respectively. The molding member I 9a has an integral attaching portion 43 formed on its opposite edge and disposed at an angle to the extension of the member I9a and this attaching portion thereof is hooked over a reversely bent flanged edge 44 provided on the liner I2a.

The door I8a which forms a wall structure portion of cabinet IIla includes an inner metal panel or wall 46 and an outer metal panel or wall 41 having their edges widely spaced apart at the periphery of the door. An insulating breaker or trim strip molding member I9b forms another wall between the spaced apart edges of the metal walls 46 and 41 of the wall structure formed by door I8a. This member I9b comprises a selfsustaining substantially rigid, wide, thin strip of fiber or sh paper 5I enclosed in a rubber casing 52 which forms an impervious non-hygrcscopic coating thereover. Like element 31 of member ISa strip element 5I of member I9b may be formed of any suitable material preferably of low heat conductivity. The one side or edge of molding member I9b is secured to door Isa by a plurality of screws 54 which pass through member |917 and are threaded into suitable openings provided in a reversely bent flange 55 formed on the outer metal panel 41 of door I8a. The molding member I9b has an integral attaching portion 56 formed on its opposite edge and disposed at an angle to the extension of member I9b and this attaching portion thereof is hooked over a reversely bent iianged edge 51 provided on the inner metal panel 46 of door I8a. In addition the molding member I9b has a thick integral web portion 53 extending atan angle to the extension thereof and lying along the inturned face portion of the flange 55 on door panel 41. The edge of thick web portion 58 of molding member I9b terminates in the form of a hollow, ilexible, resilient and compressible bead or cushion portion 59 which forms a seal for engaging the outer cabinet wall IIa to seal the door opening of the food compartment I3a. It will be seen that molding member I9b is secured to the outer metal wall 41 of door IBa and that the inner metal wall 46 of door I8a is secured to the door by hooking the attaching portion 58 of member |9b thereto. The rigidity of the rubber enclosed elements 31 and 5| of molding members |9a and |9b respectively and the wall formed thereby is sufficiently self-sustaining to prevent deformation thereof by insulating material 6| placed or packed in the chamber formed between the inner and outer metal walls of the door or cabinet wall structure.

By virtue of the substantially rigid nature of the trim molding member |9b and its method of attachment to door |8a all framework can be eliminated from the door to thus render it light in weight. Since the door Ia is attached to cabinet |0a by hinges having a part thereof welded or otherwise suitably secured to the outer metal panel 41 and since the mold member |9b is attached to panel 41 and clamps the inner wall 46 thereto the parts of the door 18a remain in contact during manipulation thereof. By virtue of the construction disclosed in Fig. 6 an improved refrigerator cabinet is provided in that the insulation 6|, which may be of any suitable or desirable material, can be extended continuously beyond the front edge of liner |2a to surround the throat of the food compartment |3a at the front of the cabinet |0a. The insulating material 6| in door |8a can be extended to the periphery thereof. The insulation 6| is obviously and preferably much more eiicient than wood frame members and by its extension to the front of the refrigerator cabinet particularly in the vicinity of the wall of the access opening leading to the food compartment 3a and the edge portion of door |8a the cabinet and the door are thereby effectively insulated. By eliminating heavy wood frames about the opening to compartment Ia and around the periphery of door 3a the Weight of the cabinet Illa is materially reduced.

Having described the structure of the improved molding members or breaker strips shown in Fig. 6 and their function in refrigerator cabinet wall constructions, I will now describe one method of producing the members for a better understanding of my invention. In Fig. 7 of the drawings I have illustrated a rubber extruding apparatus which is more or less conventional and well known to those skilled in the art. The extruding apparatus, generally represented by the character 1|, may comprise a funnel-shaped hopper 12 which feeds molten rubber into a cylinder or barrel 13 containing propelling means such, for example, as a screw or the like for forcing the molten rubber from the barrel or cylinder 13 through suitably shaped openings provided in a head 14. In the production of the molding members or breaker strips |9a and I9b of the present invention a continuous strip of fiber or fish paper 15, or other self-sustaining, substantially rigid, strip material, is inserted into the extruding apparatus 1| at the end of barrel or cylinder 13 opposite the head end .14 thereof. A driving pulley or the like 16 is mounted at this opposite end of the barrel or cylinder and is connected with the extruding screw or propeller located in the barrel or cylinder 13 for operating same. Means is of course provided for causing the continuous strip of paper 15 to travel through the apparatus 1| preferably at a speed corresponding to the speed of extruding the layer or cover of rubber from the apparatus 1I thereover. Means may also be provided for guiding the strip 15 through the cylinder or barrel 13 of apparatus 1| to protect same from being deformed by pressure or heat existing therein. In this apparatus the paper 15 comes out of Search head 14 simultaneously with a continuous tube or layer of rubber extruded around the paper. The extruding openings in head 14 of apparatus 1| are designed to produce the particular shape of extruded rubber element desired. For example in the production of the improved molding members |9a and I9b disclosed the attaching portions 43 and 56 thereon respectively and the hollow sealing portion 59 of member lsb are extruded integrally and simultaneously with the layer or coating of rubber over or around the rigid strip element thereof. 'Ihe molten rubber upon being extruded from the head end 14 of apparatus 1| is in the form of a thin lm over the strip element 15 and upon being cooled expands slightly to provide the surrounding layer of rubber over the strip element. The continuous rubber extruded member leaving the apparatus 1| upon being cooled and assuming its predetermined shape is cut into the desired lengths to provide the trim or mold members of the present invention. The apparatus for and the method of extruding rubber as herein briefly described is well known to those skilled in the art and is illustrated merely for a better understanding of the article claimed as my invention.

It will be seen that I have provided improved refrigerator cabinet wall constructions and that I have provided a novel trim or molding strip for application to a wall construction either around the throat or opening of the food storage compartment or around the periphery of the cabinet door. My invention provides trim strips that are impervious to moisture and form non-hygroscopic surfaces and these strips may be of any desired color so as to harmonize with the finish of the refrigerator cabinet or so as to provide a contrast to the finish. The trim strips of the present invention obviate the expensive molding process of non-hygroscopic materials and provide strips which are inexpensive to produce and readily replaced. By virtue of the self-sustaining or substantially rigid element within the novel trim strips disclosed a refrigerator wall structure can be materially simplified to thereby reduce manufacturing costs and to reduce the weight thereof.

While the forms of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A refrigerator wall structure comprising in combination, an outer metal wall, an inner metal wall spaced from said outer wall and providing a chamber therebetween, insulation material within said chamber, said outer and inner walls having their edges spaced apart and forming an opening therebetween, a member providing a closure wall for the opening between the edge portions of said inner and outer metal walls, said member including a fiat substantially rigid core of insulating material having a layer of rubber extending continuously therearound and forming a non-hygroscopic enclosure for the core, said core of said member having its edge portions overlying the edge portions of said inner and outer metal walls to bridge the opening therebetween whereby said edge portions of the inner and outer metal walls form the sole rigid backing for said closure wall member, said rubber layer on said member having a resilient portion abutting the edge portions of said inner and outer metal walls, said rubber layer having a portion formed integral therewith at one edge of said Room member attached to the edge portion of said inner metal wall, means for securing the other edge of said member to said outer meta1 wall, said means being constructed and arranged to act on the rigid core of said closure member and apply force therethrough to the rubber layer thereover to impinge the layer against the edge portion of said outer metal wall, and said rubber layer on said closure member also having an integral exible bead projecting outwardly from the edge of said member overlapping said outer metal wall and abutting a portion of said outer ,meta1 wall beyond its edge to provide a gasket adapted to engage and seal against another wall structure.

2. A frameless door structure for closing an opening in a refrigerator cabinet comprising in combination, spaced metal panels having insulating material disposed therebetween, said panels having their peripheral edges spaced from one another, a member for maintaining the edges of said metal panels in a predetermined substantially fixed spaced apart relation and also forming a closure wall for the insulation between the spaced panels, said closure wall member including a substantially rigid element of low heat conductivity having a layer of rubber disposed over at least the surface thereof providing a peripheral exposed portion of the door and forming a nonhygroscopic covering for said surface, said element of said closure wall member having its edge portions overlapping the edge portions of said metal panels to bridge the space therebetween whereby said edge portions of the metal panels form the sole rigid backing for said closure wall member, said rubber layer on said wall member having a resilient portion abutting the edge portions of said metal panels, said rubber layer having a hook-like portion formed integral therewith at one edge of said closure wall member hooked over an edge portion of one of said metal panels, means for securing the other edge of said closure wall member to the other of said meta1 panels, said means being constructed and arranged to act on the rigid element of said closure wall member and apply force therethrough to the resilient rubber portion of the closure wall member to impinge same against the edge portion of said other metal panel, and said rubber layer having an integral exible Ybead projecting outwardly from an overlapping edge of the rigid element of said closure wall member and abutting a portion of one of said metal panels adjacent its edge portion to provide a gasket adapted to engage a wall of the refrigerator cabinet to seal the opening therein to be closed by said door.

3. A frameless door structure for closing an opening in a refrigerator cabinet comprising in combination, an outer metal panel, an inner metal panel spaced from said outer panel and providing a chamber therebetween, insulating material within said chamber, said outer and. inner panels having their peripheral edges spaced from one another, a member for maintaining the edges of said metal panels in a predetermined substantially rlxed spaced apart relation and also forming a closure wall for the space therebetween, said closure wall member including a at substantially rigid core of the insulating material having a layer of rubber extending continuously therearound and forming a non-hygroscopic enclosure for the core, said core of said closure wall member having its edge portions overlapping the edge portions of said metal panels to bridge the space therebetween whereby said edge portions of the metal panels form the sole rigid backing for said closure wall member, said rubber layer on said wall member having a resilient portion abutting the edge portions of said inner and outer meta1 panels, said rubber layer having a portion formed integral therewith at one edge of said closure wall member attached to the edge portion of said inner metal panel, means for securing the other edge of said closure wall member to said outer metal panel, said means being constructed and arranged to act on the rigid core of said closure wall member and apply force therethrough to the resilient rubber portion of the closure wall member to impinge same against the edge portion of said outer metal panel, and said rubber layer having an integral exible bead projecting outwardly from the edge of the rigid core of said closure wall member overlapping the edge portion of said outer metal panel and abutting a. portion of said outer metal panel adjacent its overlapped edge to provide a gasket adapted to engage a wall of the refrigerator cabinet to Seal the opening therein to be closed by said door.

EDMUND F. SCHWELLER. 

